Weight-shifting device for dual axle vehicles



June 3, 1952 R. c. BISSELL WEIGHT-SHIFTING DEVICE FOR DUAL AXLE VEHICLES 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 26, 1950 pi-A- INVENTOR. #4 man/0 G 5/5551; BY

ATTORNEY June 3, 1952 R. c. BISSELL 2,599,043

WEIGHT-SHIFTING DEVICE FOR DUAL. AXLE VEHICLES Filed Oct. 26, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 if M 27 27 /0 4 1 f 2a #PLL rr-0mm) :LUZ

June 3, 1952 R. c. BISSELL 2,599,043

WEIGHT-SHIFTING DEVICE FOR DUAL AXLE VEHICLES Filed Oct. 26, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN VEN TOR. PAY/7am 6? 60:51.1.

HTTOR/Yf) Patented June 3, 1952 OFFICE WEIGHT-.SHIETING DEVICE FOR DUAL AXLE V HICLES Raymond C. Bissell, Denver, 0010., assignor to Timpte Bros., Inc., Denver, 0010., a corporation of Colorado Application October 26, 1950, Serial No. 192,225 2 Claims. Cl. 180-22) This invention relates to a load-shifting device for automotive 'vehiclesof the multi-wheel type. Trucks and busses provided with two rear axles, one of which is a driving axle, occasionally encounter traction difllculties due to the fact that the.- load is so uniformly distributed over the wheels of both axles that there is not sufficient weight on the driving axle to obtain driving traction on slippery roads.

The principal object of this invention is to provide .ineans whereby the driver may quickly and easily shift any desired portion of the load from the idler wheels to the driving wheels to obtain greater traction on the latter under slippery road conditions. v

Another objectof the invention is to provide a simple; complete, compact unit which can be quickly and easily applied to any of the conventional multi-wheel, balanced-load axles, without requiring changes in, or rebuilding of, the latter and without interfering with the normal operation of the balanced axles.

A further object is to provide a load-shifting mechanism which will operate resiliently when,

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of the invention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efficiency. These will become more apparent from the following description. I

In the following detailed description of the ining 42.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary, detail, bottom view of the device of Fig. 6.

In-the drawing, parts of a conventional balanced-wheel vehicle are designated by numeral as follows: longitudinal chassis members l0,

cross chassis members H, idler wheels l2, driving wheels l3, idler axle housing It, driving axle housing I5, chassis spring l6, load-balancingrods l8, and differential.hous-.

beams l1, torque In the conventional vehicle the balancing beams l1 act to distribute the load between the axle housings H and I5, and act to cause either axle to move upwardly as the other axle moves downwardly. The improved weight-shifting device takes advantage of this cooperating action of the balancing beams H. The first form of the invention acts to lift the rear axle housing I4, when desired, so as to transfer a portion of the load normally'carried by the wheels l2 to the driving wheels I3 so as to increasethe tractive effort of the latter. r

The first form of the improved weight-shift ing device comprises a pressure cylinder i9 arranged to force a plunger 20 upwardly. and sup a suitable conduit 35 from the compressed air brake reservoir of the vehicle or from a hydraulic pressure source on the vehicle. The pressure cylinder is supported in a U-shaped saddle bar 2| which is welded or otherwise secured at its extremities to thetwo longitudinal chassis members It. The upper extremity of the plunger 20 is reduced in diameter to form a supporting shoulder 24 and a mounting stud l5.-

, The stud 45 extends through a cross head mem- Fig. is an enlarged, fragmentary, detail section, tisjcen on the line 15-45, Fig. 1;

Fig. '6 is a plan view of the wheel mounting with an alternate form of weight-shifting device applied thereto;

line 1--|, Fig. 6, showing the alternate form of weight-shifting device; and

her 22 and carries a, retaining nut 23 threadedthereon. The shoulder 24 is preferably tapered so that the cross head member 22 resting thereon is free to tilt in any direction on the plunger The extremities of the cross head member 22 are provided with spring-receiving'recesses25 through which suitable spring bolts 26- extend.

,The spring bolts serve to attach the rear extremities of two bowed leaf springs 21 to the member 22. The forward extremities of the springs'2l are mounted on a second pair of.

spring bolts 28 extending through the sides of U-shaped bracket members 29 adapted to be 32 depends.

ports a shackle bolt 3| from which a tension link The tension links slidably extend through shelf members 33, which are adapted to be welded or otherwise secured to the rear axle wardly of the housing I4. The shelf members" 33 are mounted on the idleraiaxlediousinggl4ibe-- low the springs 21; and theircon'duit 35 lemon-22 nected to the compressed air brake reservoir 01' the vehicle, or other source of pressure, through 7 anysuitable control valve (not shown) Normally the cross head member 22 restsdi 20 body weight directly on .the drive axle housing I5 rectly on the hydraulic cylinder l9, as shown in Eigi2:1anditthei-lifitinginutsfi4 arezpnsitionedzsufficiently. below the shelf mGmbBISiQBFSOQIS-HOMQO' interfrezwitlrthetnormakspringgaction3:asshown in; the-flatter: figure; When: incthis positionthe dviceihasrnoiefiecmipomtliernormal wheelzisus pension' orz spriirg'acti'on of thewehicle;

New:letiussassumesthatzadditional :weightdsfdesired ion the: diiving'awheels l 3-; for: increased! tra'etiiom purposes: It: is: onlys-necessary'" forrz'the driver to admit hydraulic fluid to the 'cylindv |9f 303 beemdescribedfand illustratediherein;it is we;

'mifi frces the springebanzmsupwardly until the nutsfl aire brouglrt'sintoecontactswith" tlie -ShB1f members;- 33': Additional upward movementf" tl i espring rbar -acts-stor fiexxthezsprings: 2 l S0-. th'at 4 bars 46 are welded or otherwise secured between the longitudinal chassis members I0 over the differential housing 42 of the vehicle, and the bellows are connected by means of a supply pipe 43 5 with the compressed air or hydraulic system of the vehicle through a suitable control valve. A corucarbumpercap membenjfis mounted on the difierentia'fhousing 42 direetly below the conical depression 41 in the bottom plate 38.

0'11" .Normally the bottom plate 38 is well above the difierentialhousing. 42 and does not interfere in amy,--way"with"the normal springing movements of the latter. However, should it be desired to transfer greater: weight to the drive wheels [3,

l5 air orliquid undr pressure is admitted to the bellows 36 *to force" the bottom plate 38 down- --wardly untilzthe: depression 41 therein receives and rides on the conical cap member 44 mounted on -thedrousing 42. This acts to place additional foriincreased traction :purposesianditoirelievevtlie weightupon'theiidler:wheelssl2;-

. 1 Itiwill'floemotedith'atithesincline:ofrthezsidesiofi the: cap? memberrMi-is :steepenr than ltheir incli-nez ofzthe rsi'desz-of eth'e depression-41: Therefore: the? i 's p n thev-point ofi theicafp member:-

sorlthatrtlreichassis isefree rtettiltim n directions;

thereom.v V; V V v While a specific formvofftheiimprovement:

understood: thatthe samermay be varied withine the scope'ofltheappended iclaims;without depart ing from -the-spirit of-thefiinverrtidns Having thus =describedthe 'inventi'om what w e arsidIer axlliousing':I4iis p dllp claimed and desired secured by Letters Patentfisr" ti fir'liev zu'portiori ofrithei weightion:theavheelsr I2 and transfer it through -th e tilting: bean-{5x IT- l5 Ir'i a vehicleiof :thetype' havifigiaidriving axle and anondrivingraxle positioneclqiarallelteeachi other; means for transferring weight from th non=driving r axla tovtherdriving axle to I increase the Housing l4 upwardly; hVaISQbei de- 4 -9the': t'remtive:eiTort of the latter when desired?- scribed a's' prying the-chassis downwardly through r the action of the springs 2'l' omthe -bra'cket"mem bersfie'r 7 1a Figs? 6 7 and 8' 93562301115 tidrmrofttheinvem tion' is illustraterli for: accomplishing the same T purpose? lr i thealternate form an expansion bel lws 3 i' is employed3 Such a-floellowsis purchas abl' upomti-ie -open market and is generally used V fiir operating air brakes :onivehicles: Thee-con struction ofthebellows; per use; forms no part Eoftli' presentinvention: Therbellows is"bolted be tween -ai': fiat topplate 3liandianbottom'iplateq38: Tli'e bottom plate38 hasfzaacentral, upwardly rgin dented; conical depressiomfl The topiplate welded 1'" otherwise secured-1th azsprin'g bani-til belmw sthe' extremities of theespring; bar 39. A Number tensioni springmlaextends between each extremity ci lftherspringzbarrfl and-zone of the :ears ies-to cbnstantlymrgec-the bellows-.. to fthe closedposition;

11125291551118:ibfifSSOOHdrifOflIlzxOf ::the invention I. tomcenventional dual-wheermounting; theangle comprising: tiltingload:beams extendihg b'etweensaid axles means for -placing the weiglit oi 'a vehicle on'said beams intermediate theirextrem- 1ties: .a fluid expandingcdeviefipositioned bver the driving axlez means: for expanding? said 53 devices downwardly 'intoi'contact witlr-said?driving axlemcr transmit? a:portion":.ofi= the V v-load! of said? vehicle" thereto said tilting beam-s actingtorelivvefsaidii nonedr vingfaxle'zofnthatfportioniofatheiiea'dy:and a ponical-fcap membenrmounted onisaidisdrivifigr:

axle"- and positioned: to: receiver the: downward:

thrustpf-"saidzfiuid expandingidevicesi 2. wheel suspension for vehicls ias' tdescribedi in claim 1:havingfarbottonnplatemounted on'rsaid expanding: device and: a: conical! depression? formed fin said platezto' re ceiveesaidficonicaleam when said expanding? device iszexpandedf,

- RIAYMO'ND7C3 BIS'SELIEQ REFERENeEs The renewing ref 'e'ren'ces are of record ini tlre-t: file of "thisfpatentz Y? p UNITED STATES' 'PAI'ENTSZ 1 Name-r: I Date 7 1,85'1249 Marcums r- May; 10, 1932 I nonmeN Pii ranrs V Number Country 7 I Date 

